Hunter Killer
Page 30
U.S. Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.
Airmen assigned to the 432nd Aircraft Maintenance Squadron assemble an MQ-1 Predator at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada.
U.S. Air Force photograph by Senior Airman Larry E. Reid Jr.
An MQ-1 Predator armed with AGM-114 Hellfire missiles flies a combat mission over southern Afghanistan.
U.S. Air Force photograph by Lt. Col. Leslie Pratt
An MQ-9 Reaper on display at Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico.
U.S. Air Force photograph by Airman 1st Class Aaron Montoya
A sandstorm at Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
A VMU-1 pilot launches an RQ-2 Pioneer using a remote control box.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
The Officer’s Club, Bada Bing!, at Al Taqaddum Air Base, Iraq, in 2006. The club occupied the top floor of an abandoned air traffic control tower.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
A tail gunner over Lake Habbaniyah, Iraq.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
A ScanEagle UAV being prepared for launch at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
A ScanEagle UAV returning from a mission at Al Asad Air Base, Iraq.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
Launch and Recovery Ground Control Station at Balad Air Base, Iraq.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
The 60th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron commander’s office.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
A Predator awaits its next mission under a sunshade at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
Visitors’ quarters at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
A UH-60 Blackhawk flies past the Predator compound at Kandahar Air Base, Afghanistan.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
An MQ-1 performs a simulated Hellfire-missile shot at the Nellis Air Show in 2005. This was the first time a Predator had performed at any air show.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
An MQ-1 Predator waits its turn to fly in a Hardened Aircraft Shelter (HAS) at Balad Air Base, Iraq.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
An MQ-1 and an MQ-9 prepare for missions at Camp Lemonnier, Djibouti.
Photograph courtesy of Lt. Col. T. Mark McCurley
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The journey from concept to publication of this book was nearly twelve years long. When given an opportunity to present myself in public fashion, I usually pass and give way to those who prefer to bask in the spotlight. I would rather remain on the fringe of the crowd and observe the action. Being low-key feels comfortable to me.
Anonymity affords those in my line of work a means to live a normal life without enduring the scrutiny of a curious public. At times, this seclusion proves a benefit as we are able to celebrate our family life quietly and in relative peace. And in others, it frustrates us as we watch misinformation propagate through the media about our motives and actions. There’s nothing worse than watching a story get “it” wrong.
When I met General Mark Welsh in Djibouti, he was still the commander of the United States Air Forces in Europe. It would be another year before he would assume the role of the Chief of Staff of the Air Force. He had a reputation of encouraging airmen to tell their stories so the world could share in our collective experience. Upon our introduction, the local Group Commander relayed a laundry list of my accomplishments within the Predator program, most of which I had no idea he knew about. General Welsh considered me for a moment and then he told me I needed to write my story.
I sat on that idea for nearly two years, unsure if I should write the book or why my story was even worth the effort. I was loath to expose myself to the public eye. I was even more reticent to endure the sure-to-be-colorful commentary from the Predator community. They had been vicious with the other guys who had gone public.
After all, I’m not a hero; I just watch over the guys who are.
My position changed when I got a call from a friend. He sent me a link to an article in the Washington Post. The article identified me personally and discussed the al-Awlaki strikes in excruciating detail, a level of detail that should never have been released. I was shocked, since the Air Force has a policy not to release names of combat commanders until after a war ends. Yet there was my name in print, identified with a major operation.
It was only then that I seriously considered writing the story of the Predator.
I contacted Kevin Maurer to feel out the market for our story. He immediately jumped at the opportunity and wanted to shop it to his agent and publishers. That started a whirlwind journey through the exciting publishing process. He taught me how to write the way publishers want and guided me through pitfalls I hadn’t even been prepared for. The rest is, as they say, history.
Since then, I have been blessed to work with an amazing team of professionals who’ve made the idea of this book into a reality. To Scott, Ben, Christine, Amanda, Stephanie, and the rest of the staff at Dutton—thank you for believing in me. And to Mark: Your extraordinary effort pushed this book through a challenging review.
Most important, I want to thank my beautiful wife. Without her tolerance for my long hours poring over manuscripts, typing madly into the computer, and morosely researching details, I could not have completed a workable draft, let alone completed the whole book. I love you, sweetie.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
LT. COL. T. MARK McCURLEY is a retired Air Force pilot and former intelligence operator. In 2003, he volunteered for the secretive Predator program, deploying five times to Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations, where he has flown the MQ-1 Predator and the MQ-9 Reaper, accruing more than one thousand combat hours in flight.
KEVIN MAURER is an award-winning journalist and the bestselling coauthor, with Mark Owen, of No Easy Day: The Firsthand Account of the Mission That Killed Osama bin Laden. He has covered special operations forces for a decade.
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